120,000 abeilles lâchées au-dessus de la ville pour polliniserenerg

Val says
I love stories like this, where bee hives / ruches are being placed on roof tops in cities, to help in pollination of the city flowers and plants. Three hives are apparently being mounted on top of the roof of the Musée Ingres in Montauban
The objectives of the project are  to show the young the problems with  the massive use of pesticides in the countryside and show bio diversity. In September there will be a chance for the inhabitants of Montauban  to taste the honey that has been harvested. 
What a great project, but what a shame it is needed.
Words to learn
abeilles    bees
ruches      hives
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I am still eager to learn.

If I mention Julia and her partner Johan in my posts it is because they are in the gite at the moment enjoying a holiday before our next renters arrive. It gives the pair chance to get out working in the fields, so much easier being near the site they work on, they live and rent at Verfeil usually.
This morning I wanted to treat the donkeys against flies/ mouches. The portion of field that they are clearing is fly heaven, but donkey hell. We use a product recommended by the vet which is called Butox and is really for cows but works for donkeys. I asked Julia if she wanted me to treat her two donkeys but Julia is going to make a bio product from plants and leaves which is non toxic. I will give that a try when it is made and find out what plants she uses. I wonder if she also has a treatment for other pets against creepy crawly things.
I am always willing to learn new ways and as Julia and neighbour Magali are trained in what medicinal purposes plants have I will pick up on their knowledge. It reminds me of an old book we used to sell called something like Gerard's herbal. Sometimes old methods are the best for us and the planet.
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A touch of sarcasm in this post.

Hi Val!
 Reading your post about pesticides I wonder how many TAG readers use 'products' in their gardens and their houses,. However, I am sure these products are completely harmless, like the label says! And there is of course now way these chemicals could end up in the water or in any plants or animals we are not aiming to destroy. No bird would be stupid enough to eat a poisened snail, like no owl would ever consider itself lucky to find the mouse that crawled out of our houses to die after eating the little surprise we left for it. So, even if we do use 'products', it is indeed very different from what all these ignorants farmers do to provide us with the cheap cereals and vegetables we like so much.. besides, who could stand to see bugs or weeds in the garden, that's not why we came to live in the country is it???
 Feel free to post this on TAG while I put my bulletproof vest on ;-)
 Gros bisous,
Anke
Val says  Anke does have a point.
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And yet another pesticide story.

Children in agricultural areas are being exposed to a dangerous cocktail of pesticides, some of which are banned substances, a French health and environment group has claimed.

Générations Futures did independent analysis of the hair of young people living or studying near farms and vineyards after parents expressed worries about their children being exposed to poisons that could disrupt their endocrine system.

The group, a non-profit organisation specialising in the use and effects of pesticides on humans and the environment, says its findings confirmed their fears.

Researchers took hair samples from a selected group of children aged between three and 10 living or attending schools between 50 and 200 metres from different agricultural zones. It sent the samples to an independent laboratory in Luxembourg that used methods similar to those employed by detectives investigating poisoning cases.

In 29 samples tested 624 pesticide traces were found, suggesting that 80% of the children had been exposed to agricultural pesticides in the previous three months. The laboratory found traces of 53 pesticides believed to affect mammals' hormone systems and capable of causing cancerous tumours, birth defects, developmental disorders and learning disabilities in humans.

An average of 21.52 distinct pesticides were found in each child; 35 endocrine disruptor pesticides were found at least once, while 13 types of pesticides were discovered in all the hair samples.

Just under three-quarters of the children ate organic food regularly, so the contamination likely came from an outside source, not their food.

Val says  I am so fed up of these stories, what does it take for everyone to take pesticides seriously?

This story in the Guardian

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Protecting the bees

FARMERS in France will be banned from spraying pesticides during daylight hours to protect bees, under plans unveiled by agriculture minister Stéphane Le Foll.

Spraying is already technically banned in the early morning, but many farmers have waivers, protecting them from sanction if they ignore the regulations. The new law will prevent spraying during daylight hours and there will be no exceptions. 
Val says  thank heavens for a little sanity
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Listen to this readers, nothing to laugh about here.

The quality of French sperm is on the decline. But a new study released this week has raised the question of whether the one-third drop in French men's sperm count in recent years is linked to the production of the country's most famous export: wine.

The two areas which have seen the steepest drops were found to be the regions of Aquitaine and Midi-Pyrénées in south-western France, which also happen to be two centres for French wine production, notably the famous Bordeaux labels.

The French researchers behind the study say those two regions are home to some of country's largest number of farm workers, many of whom are likely to be exposed to pesticides - which researchers say are the chief culprit for the decline in sperm quality. The chemicals can disrupt the men's hormones and thus interrupt sperm production, the study found. 

And Midi Pyrenees is top of the list of men surveyed who are infertile.

Does it seem ironic that this story follows on from water pollution in Midi Pyrenees from nitrates and pesticides  and the viticulture who refuses to spray his vines and faces a heavy fine and prison term.

I am breaking into the song " Where have all the flowers gone, and when will they ever learn"

Bits of the report from Le Monde and the Local

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Emmanuel Giboulot

Morning Val,
You beat me to it. Just saw this appeal on my Facebook page and having signed and shared it thought, 'that is one for Taglines'. However, you have already posted it.  Many of us like drinking the wine, but I am sure we do not want to kill off any more bees and other pollinating insects. We need these to survive! I hope your readers will sign and spread the word. It would be a disgrace if this man ended up in prison because he has a social conscience.
Kind regards,
Elly
Val says I feel  gratified that you are another " planet lover" and secondly that you think of TAGlines when reading such an issue.   Well done Elly.
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Bees and pesticides

HONEY production is dropping severely in France with beekeepers blaming the use of certain pesticides. Last year’s production was just 15,000 tonnes, compared to 33,000 in 1995, and mortality rates of bee colonies have been rising.

In  our area we know many beekeepers who are also worried about the deaths of whole colonies last year and restricted honey production.
Val says  I read somewhere that bees in city hives were doing better than country bees struggling with farmers pesticides.
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Stop the use of poison and pesticides

"Stop fracking, deep sea trawling and the wide use of pesticides" TAG 

campaigns.

Thank you Val for including 'stop the wide use of pesticides'. None of us

have to buy anything that was treated with pesticides. One of my reasons

for choosing to buy organic is because pesticides are STILL tested on

beagles and other animals. I have seen videos that hidden cameras took of 

forcing beagles to drink litres of pesticides to test their reaction. A long 
and horrible death of course. Maybe some of you find organic food expensive 
but at what cost  is cheap food produced.  We have a choice, the beagles 
don't.

Rachel Shamash


Val says  it is only by speaking out that the widespread use of pesticides in every area of our life will stop.

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